Editor’s Note: this post is part of a series of short interviews to let blog readers get to better know the international judges of the 2012 My Life’s a Trip Vacation Photo Contest. Raised in Kansas City, Rebecca Adler Rotenberg is All-American by birth, but has South American roots. – Jen
Rebecca specializes in travel journalism, editorial portraiture, documentary event photography and commercial fashion photography. She strives to capture those in-between moments that are so often the most memorable and evocative. Rebecca currently resides in Angelino Heights, Los Angeles, with her dog, Stella.
What did you do this summer? Any travels?
I traveled to Ecuador at the end of June with my mother. It was the first time I had been back in twenty four years and I was lucky to reconnect with more than thirty relatives in Quito. We also took several side trips to Otavalo, Chorlavi, Ibarra, and Misahualli. I was lucky to see where my Grandmother was born and raised and also where my Great Grandfather was born. Very powerful trip on a personal level, but also powerful in general to explore such a culturally and geologically rich country. A spectacular vacation from start to finish.
Street scene driving through Ecuador into the Napo Region
An Incan Shaman offers a cleansing ritual on the occasion of the Summer Solstice. This Incan ritual is called the Inti Raymi
Tapestry shopping in Otavalo, Ecuador
Traditional Otavaleno dancing at the Hacienda Chorlavi. My Great Grandfather was born on this Hacienda.
Rainforest canopy in Misahualli, Ecuador.
What do you think makes a good travel photograph?
“I believe a good photograph, no matter the genre, tells a story. When traveling, I strive to take photos that help my audience feel what it is like to be in the space depicted.” – Rebecca Adler Rotenberg, 2012